Tooth and Nail
by JimmyDANj2
Summary: The abrupt, searing pain in her heart sent her lurching, her mind ruthlessly reeling. It was much, much worse than whatever physical agony she had endured with that rock in her chest. The innocent query, tiny in stature, that rumbled so simply from his mouth, was suddenly responsible for shattering her entire world, leaving wisps and fragments in its wake. "And who might you be?"


_Long braids, tinged with blood, and the earth raining and cascading around them, and the limp body in his arms, his hoarse screams reverberating off the walls, pleading, praying to her, to any deity above, to anyone that this wasn't real, before he steeled himself and drew the circle, even amidst the chaos, the discord, and a clap resounded, bounced off the same walls his screams had, and suddenly the Gate before him, the white incandescence of All Things converged into one, the toothy, wide smile, the Price-_

"Brother, Winry...Where am I? Oh," he blinked, noticing a fourth person in the room.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. And who might you be?" he asked kindly.

Even if he was not aware of the precise reason, Alphonse realized at once that he had said something terribly, horribly wrong. he did not need the cue of the girl's breath suddenly hitching or even her eyes abruptly welling with tears to know that the world had suddenly and inexplicably halted its revolution for a split second.

The air in the room grew cold. Both Winry and her husband tensed, their eyes widening.

Dense moments passed, and nobody so much as twitched. The girl's tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

Finally, she was the one who shattered the quiet.

"My name," she smiled tremulously. "is Mei Chang. Wh-While you were exploring some ruins here in Xing, there was an earthquake, and large debris came down on your head. You were knocked unconscious, and I...happened to be there." Her throat tightened.

Swallowing back a sob, she continued.

"I dug you out from the rubble and brought you here to get medical attention. Your...Your brother and sister-in-law rushed over here from Resembool immediately to see if you were alright."

Alphonse noticed her clutching her bandaged chest until her knuckles whitened.

"That's right," he uttered. "I'm in Xing. A-Are you alright? You look like you were injured as well."

She shook her head, her braided hair whipping to and fro.

"They're just scratches," she insisted with a watery voice. "W-Well, I'll leave you to your...your family."

She choked on the last word, before dashing out of the room.

"Wait, Mei-!" Winry called after her. She bit her lip in worry.

She glanced at the two brothers hesitantly, before running after the Xingese girl.

Silence took hold of the room once more, but Edward made it a point this time to brush it aside quickly.

"Is this a joke? Are you...being serious right now, Al?" his voice implied his incredulity. His molten irises, however, seemed determined for an answer.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Brother," came Alphonse's hesitant reply. "Um, who exactly was that girl...? She seemed very distraught, and I can't help but feel that I'm somehow responsible."

Edward swore, his fingers coming up to massage the bridge of his nose, his teeth clenched.

"Of course she was _distraught_," he muttered, more to himself than Alphonse. "How can she not be after..."

Suddenly, Edward's eyes shot up to meet Alphonse's with a blazing intensity. A single finger jabbed towards the injured man.

"Listen, Al. Even as your brother, it's not my business to pry into what goes on between you two."

At this, Alphonse only grew more confused.

"_But_," Edward nearly threatened. "Mark my words, I'm going to do everything within my power to _confine_ you two together to the greatest possible extent so that the both of you can figure this out for yourselves. You'd better make sure to talk it out. For her sake, if not your own. I'll do whatever it takes on my end to fix this, because like it or not, that annoying shrimp is family, too."

"I..." Alphonse faltered, unsure what to make of everything that has occurred. "Brother, what-"

"I'm going to go see if they're doing okay. You...I dunno, think to yourself, maybe, what needs to be done. Al, please,"

Alphonse's eyes widened. It was rare for him to ever see his brother implore something of him with such fervor and desperation.

"Just..._try_ to...think on it. To recall-" Edward sucked in a breath, apparently unable to finish his piece, before striding out of the room.

And Alphonse really attempted to do as he was bid, but the problem lay in the fact that he had absolutely no clue what he was supposed to grasp ahold of.

* * *

Alphonse may have been rather out of the loop, but he was no buffoon. He was one of the Elric brothers, he was an alchemic prodigy, he knew more of the sciences than most respected professors decades older than him. He already had his suspicions, especially after nearly two weeks, of just what sort of relationship he and...Mei (because of his revelations, he felt uneasy mentioning her) had.

True to his word, Edward made sure to beseech Ling to figuratively handcuff Mei to Alphonse as his nurse, day in and day out. On paper, this was meant to ensure Alphonse's steady recovery from the earthquake, but in truth, it was in order to isolate and flush out the Issue.

Alphonse had taken to calling it the Issue, deciding that the ever-present, tense block that persisted and hung over all of them like a cloud - tainting the atmosphere with constant whispers and urgings that something was wrong, that something was severely, stiflingly out of place - deserved a name.

Edward also made certain to stick around Xing for a while in order to visit the house where Alphonse stayed and relentlessly drill him about what he _did_ remember.

As it turned out, Edward found out with a grimace, everything save the one thing that mattered.

Though it may have been out of sorts for him, being the composed, calm individual he was (so at odds with his brother), Alphonse found himself finally fed up after weeks of being with Mei, tiptoeing around the Issue, treading so carefully to avoid the broken glass that was their situation, their Issue, that frankly, it was beginning to sicken him.

What made it worse was that he knew it was likely all his fault.

"Um, Mei..." he began, attempting, one day, at long last, to address the elephant in the room.

Currently sitting at his bedside perusing a book, she glanced up at his beckon, smiling.

"Yes, Sir Alphonse?"

He winced. He was almost certain - _almost_ - that before he lost his memories, she had not addressed him as such.

"Um, you see, I was wondering..."

He really had no idea how to broach the subject. Winging it was usually his brother's forte.

But he supposed he had no choice in the matter.

He sucked in a shuddering breath.

"What were we to each other?"

Mei blinked. When she realized his inquiry, she averted her gaze.

"...I'm not sure what you may be referring to, Sir Alphonse. I think you need to rest a bit more, you do look quite exhaus-"

"Look, I may not remember everything, but I'm not an idiot!" he shouted.

At her gasp, he recoiled. He hadn't meant to be quite so harsh. He was just tired with all the uncertainty, of the dankness looming over their heads and doing nothing about it. His brother was right. He almost always was.

Mei's smile wavered, and she closed her book.

"It's been a rather long day, Sir Alphonse. Maybe we should retire for now. After all, we don't want to agitate those injuries."

She made to leave, but his hand shot out to grasp her wrist.

"Mei," he pleaded. "I'm tired of this. I'm done with merely lounging around, trying to avoid what we both know has to be dealt with. Dancing around the whole thing won't make it go awa-"

"Then what do you want me to _do_, Al?!"

It was her turn at an outburst. For the second time, Alphonse was witness to tears freely cascading down her visage. In her brief submission to her emotions, she had sprang up to her full height (which was formidable, contrary to Edward's constant insistence).

Breathing heavily, sobs escaping at every interval, Mei covered her face with her palms.

"You don't have any idea how frustrating this is. You're...You're _here_, right in front of me, but I _miss you so much._ I can feel you, your flesh, under my fingers, every time I tend to you, and it's not the cold metal of that armor anymore, but in a way it's _worse _because at least back then you _knew_ me, and- and-"

Still sniffling, she sat back down.

"You finally called me Al."

"H-Huh?"

He smiled softly.

"I could tell that you weren't used to calling me 'Sir Alphonse' all the time."

She blushed.

"Mei," he faltered, still unsure of where to begin. "I'm truly sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I...I know that I don't have any notion of how much you must be suffering from this, but...I want to help, too. Not only for you, but for myself. Although I don't even have a recollection of what certainly must be a huge void in my life, I...can _feel_ that there's something missing from what makes me who I am. And I'm pretty certain that that something is you. I may not remember you, but...if you don't mind...could we maybe, you know, just lay it all out there? We have to start from somewhere, right? And-And I want to try. With you."

Still crying, Mei nodded, and, to Alphonse's astonishment and embarrassment, she lunged forward and wound her arms tightly around him.

"I'll do anything, Al. Anything."

* * *

First and foremost, she began with their relationship.

"I'm your fiancé."

Alphonse's eyes bulged. He could not exactly say he was completely taken _aback_, since he figured it was _something_ of that sort, but to suddenly find out he had a fiancé he knew nothing about certainly rattled his innards a little.

"F-Fiancé?"

She nodded, giggling.

"I hope you're not disappointed or anything."

"N-No, of course not! You're very, um, pretty, and I'm sure any guy would be lucky to have you as his betrothed. It's just a bit of a shock, you know."

She smiled warmly- her first true smile, Alphonse noted, since this whole affair began - and grabbed his hand.

"Not just 'any guy'. _You're_ my fiancé, and I intend to keep it that way, regardless of what's come between us."

Blushing, Alphonse nodded his agreement.

"So then, where should we...?"

Mei took note of his dangling inquiry, tightening her grip on his hand.

"You've been through your memories with Edward, right?"

He nodded once more.

"It turns out that I can recall...most of it."

Noticing his suddenly hesitant demeanor, Mei furrowed her brow.

"I thought we were done sugarcoating the situation, Al. Go on, tell me."

He shakily breathed out a laugh.

"You could tell so easily? You really are my fiance, aren't you?"

"I've already said as much," she replied, still frowning.

"From what we can tell," Alphonse said through clenched teeth, not wanting to waste anymore time. "I apparently remember everything. Everything except...you."

Mei winced, almost as if what he uttered had physically harmed her.

"I'm sorry," Alphonse whispered.

"For what?" Mei managed to laugh. "This isn't your fault, Al."

"It might as well be. I...I can't imagine what it's like for you."

He took a deep breath.

"If I can't remember, then let's do the next best thing. Talk to me, Mei."

"W-What?"

"Tell me what happened. Back at the ruins, but also...about us. Everything about us. For instance, um...how did we meet?"

She smiled tremulously.

"Well, technically, the first time we met, I attacked you and your brother with Alkahestry. But the first time we really got a good look at each other was when I broke into Father's lair, and my delusions of being whisked away by Mr. Golden-Flowing-Locks were shattered."

Seeing the confused look on Alphonse's face, Mei laughed.

"It was quite a reality check, seeing how annoying and diminutive your brother really was."

Alphonse could tell that she was mostly teasing, taking note of the fondness in her features when she spoke of Edward.

"You had a crush on my brother?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. That was _before_ I knew he wasn't a tall, handsome Prince Charming. I mean, I love him like a brother _now_, but I don't know how Winry puts up with him. I remember," she giggled. "I remember when I asked you if your real body looked like Edward's."

"How rude!" Alphonse huffed. "I'm _way _better looking than him, not to mention much more refined."

Mei erupted into outright laughter.

"That's what you said before, too! You haven't changed, Alphonse. You haven't changed at all..."

Her expression dimmed, though her smile remained.

"What's important...what's important is what's here."

She placed her hand over his heart.

"Even if you can't remember..." she bit her lip.

"Though it sure would be nice," he interjected.

She looked up, coming face to face with his grin.

Abruptly, her jaw set in determination, her visage resolute.

"It doesn't matter, Al. Even if you don't love me now - no, it's okay," she smiled when she saw him spluttering. "No matter how much you or I want to deny it, I know that it's impossible for you to love a stranger. But it doesn't matter. I'll just make you love me again. I don't care what or how long it takes. Prepare yourself, Alphonse Elric."

She fixed him with a steely glint of her eyes.

"Believe me, it's going to take a lot more than some stupid bout of _memory loss_ to take you away from _me_."

* * *

"Al!"

"Brother! It's nice of you to drop by."

"Can't just ignore ya when you're in the middle of a crisis. Speaking of, you're looking a lot more chipper now."

"What do you mean?"

"These past few weeks you've been nothing but a bundle of doom and gloom."

"Oh! Edward!"

"Hey, runt."

"Pot, meet kettle."

"What'd you say?!"

"Not just short, but deaf too?"

"Hmph. Glad to see you're also doing better. Looks to me like you and Al've been doing some talking."

"Well...yes."

"What about?"

"Just...the things that he's forgotten. At least he can hear of our experiences together."

"Huh. Well, alright, count me in. So tell me, in these _experiences_ you speak of, have you two...y'know?"

"Um. No, I don't. What are you talking about?"

"Youuuuu know. Have you and Al...?"

"_Brother!"_

"Oh my God, Edward, I am _not_ having this conversation."

"Ha! I think you two'll end up just fine."

* * *

Eventually, after much was said and done, tears expended, laughter exuded, bonding fervent and inevitable, they approached the subject of the ruins.

"So, what were we doing there in the first place?"

"Um," Mei mumbled. "I was accompanying you on your exploration of Xing. You were enraptured by the history of that old excavation site, and you were convinced they didn't unearth nearly enough."

"I...I think I remember that. But-" he faltered.

"I know," she smiled sadly. "By yourself, right?"

"B-But," he hurriedly attempted to steer the conversation away. "I know I would have found it ten times more engaging with you there. You really went with me, then?"

Shyly, she responded.

"I'd go anywhere, so long as it's with you."

"O-Oh," he stuttered, unable to contain his blush. "And, t-the earthquake?"

She bit her lip.

"Those ruins were always unstable, and the tremors caused the whole place to collapse in on itself. We should have been alright. We've fought off creepy alchemical zombies and Mr. God-in-a-Flask himself! Some _earthquake_ shouldn't have-" Her breath hitched. "It was all my fault. My incompetence led to all this. I _stumbled, _like the stupid, head-in-the-clouds little girl that I am, and...and...the pillar caved in on me. The rubble...went straight through my chest."

Alphonse noticed her fingering the stark white bandages wrapped around her torso, and grasped her hand, motioning for her to continue.

"I...my memory's a little fuzzy around here, but I think I heard you scream, and then I felt you holding me. The...The look in your eyes, I'd," she sucked in a rattling breath. "I'd never seen you so terrified. Do you remember when Edward told you about his fight with Kimblee near Briggs? How he got impaled?"

At Alphonse's silent nod, she went on.

"He wasn't well-versed enough in medical alchemy to fix himself, so he used a part of his life-span as the sacrifice. The case with me was similar, but even worse. Even if you did have medical knowledge, it was..._bad_. The doctors told me it was nothing short of a miracle that I'd survived. But I knew it wasn't a miracle. It was you, Al - my wonderful, beautiful Alphonse - and you paid the price for it. I remember seeing the glow of the transmutation circle right before I passed out, you and me in the center, and deep in my heart, I knew you wouldn't get off easy."

Alphonse fixed her with his molten gaze.

"So the Gate made me forfeit what was precious to me."

Mei shook her head, even whilst furiously brushing away her tears.

"At the very least, it didn't undo everything you and your brother worked your entire souls to the brink for. Your body and self are still intact, and if this is all that's gone, then I-"

"I'm not so sure this is much better," he ground out, surprising Mei with the bitterness laced into his tone.

"I mean," his hollow laugh reverberated across the pale canvas of the walls. "I don't get to remember the person most important to me."

He twitched, startled by Mei pressing her dainty hand lightly onto his elbow in an attempt to placate him. He glanced up and saw her quavering smile.

"It's alright, Al," she began quietly. "That you're here with me alive and healthy - that you're _here with me_ is already all I can hope to ask for."

"Is it really enough?" he asked wearily, but was, once again, startled, when Mei looked vehemently into his eyes.

"You don't usually have a penchant for asking stupid questions, Al," she whispered.

She stood up to stretch, arching her slender arms gracefully over her head, wisps of her hair escaping her braids.

"That's more your brother's territory."

He laughed, and somehow at that moment, knew that as long as he and she were there for it, things would work themselves out.

Or he would die trying.

* * *

"Hm," she mused, swiveling her gaze from side to side, taking in the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. "I wonder where Xiao Mei's been recently. I haven't seen her in...wow, has it really been more than a month? I think she realizes that we need our time alone because of what happened, but I miss her..."

Alphonse, currently hoisting a sack of potatoes, spared her a glance.

"Xiao Mei?"

"Oh!" Mei faltered in her step, nearly dropping her share of the groceries. "I forgot. You don't remember her either, do you?"

"I'm...I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. But I bet she feels lonely. Say, why don't we go visit her? I'm sure she's with Ling right now, or something."

Alphonse cocked his head, tentatively confused. The way she worded that...

"Um...if she's with him, does that make her like...you know, a c-concubine, or...? I mean, I know he's the emperor, but I always thought, other than Lan Fan..."

Mei stared at him for the better part of a minute, not noticing that her bag of produce was on the ground.

As she continued to stare, Alphonse fidgeted uncomfortably, and just when he couldn't take it anymore, she burst out laughing.

Tears streamed down profusely and darkened the soil beneath her as Mei rolled on the floor, heaving and gasping for breath, clutching her sides.

Leaving Al hopelessly befuddled.

"Oh...Oh my-" she wheezed in between breaths. "_What _did you just - heehee - I can't believe you-"

As she continued laughing, Alphonse blushed, crossing his arms across his chest indignantly.

"Okay, okay, so I don't remember. You don't have to-"

"Sorry! Sorry, it's just-" she broke off, giggling quietly to herself, attempting to restrain her mirth.

To no avail, as another bout of boisterous laughter rumbled from her lips.

"Did you know, Alphonse, that I love you oh so very much?" she grinned at him, causing his blush to darken further, if at all possible.

"Come on!" she exclaimed cheerily, snatching her bundle from the ground and hooking her arm with his. "Let's go visit Ling."

* * *

It was after yet another month, Xiao Mei now perched on his head, that Alphonse instinctively kissed her.

Abruptly realizing what he was doing, he scrambled away, his face flushed.

"S-Sorry! I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking, and-"

Blinking, Mei touched her lips, seemingly dazed.

But another moment passed as she registered what had occurred, and a huge grin adorned her visage.

"Silly!" she giggled. "It's not like you need permission to plant one on your fiance!"

"Er, um...right," mumbled Alphonse, still flustered.

"So," she playfully ribbed him with her elbow. "Looks like _someone _has a crush on me."

The uncanniness of the statement not lost on him, he smiled amidst his embarrassment.

"I swear, you're worse than Brother at times."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she winked.

* * *

"You're leaving?" Alphonse's face fell.

"Yeah. We can't stay away from Resembool forever. 'Sides," Edward's eyes roved over him. "I think you and Mei have more or less figured things out. You don't need your big brother looking over your shoulder every second of the day, do you?"

"No..." Alphonse replied slowly. "You're right. I'll miss you, though. Winry, too."

Edward smirked.

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to visit. And we wouldn't miss your wedding day for the world, either."

"B-Brother! I mean, we're engaged, but, I'm not sure I'm-"

Edward laughed.

"I know, Al. Just, whenever you're ready, Winry and I will both be there for you. Keep that in mind."

Alphonse smiled, before enveloping his brother in a tight hug.

"I will. You can count on it."

* * *

Midnight found Alphonse wearily rubbing his eyes as he trudged down the hallway in search of a snack.

Even in his half-asleep state, his ears picked up the distinct sound of sobbing.

"Mei...?"

Changing directions midway, he slowly creaked open the door to Mei's room.

Eyes widening, he stepped over the threshold.

"Mei? What's wrong?"

Startled, Mei sprang out of her bed, her hair disheveled.

Alphonse's breath hitched when he noticed her glistening tear tracks.

"A-Alphonse...wha-what are you doing up?"

"Um, I was just a bit hungry...Mei, why are you crying? Is something the matter?"

"N-No! Nothing's wrong. You can go back to sleep, Al, I'm just being st-stupid..."

Alphonse made his way over and sat on the mattress.

"You can tell me, Mei. Please, I'm your...your f-fiance. If you'll let me, I want to help."

Mei bit her lip as she looked into Alphonse's soft expression.

"It's-It's really no big deal. I'm just...I'm just-"

At Alphonse's questioning gaze, she sighed.

"Al, do you think you'll ever get your memories back? And-And please be honest."

Surprised, Alphonse furrowed his brows.

"I...well...I'm not sure," he said halfheartedly.

Under her heated scrutiny, however, he relented.

"They were used as the toll for your survival. Once gone, I think there isn't much chance to retrieve them. It would be near impossible to get them back from beyond the Gate."

"That's what I thought."

Her expression was morose as tears clung to her lashes.

"I'm sorry, Al, I-" she hiccuped. "I know we already talked about this, and I thought it would be enough just with you here, and it _is_, I _love_ you so much, but...but it just hurts, at times. You'll never remember what we went through, how we met, what I..."

She gazed up at him, her bottom lip quivering.

"What I meant to you."

Alphonse encircled her with his arms, clenching his teeth.

"Mei..."

"I'm sorry!" she blurted. "I know I shouldn't even be-"

"No, I understand. We'll...We'll never have what we used to have. But Mei-"

He leaned back, before tilting her chin upwards to face him.

"I may not ever retrieve what you meant to me in the past. But I _do _know what you mean to me now."

"What are you trying t-to say?"

"I'm...completely green when it comes to love. Since I don't have any memories of my experience with it. Any sort of declaration of love I make wouldn't really hold any weight, because honestly, I'm clueless when it comes to you and me, and I can't make heads or tails of _what_ I'm feeling. But I know this. I enjoy every moment I spend with you, and with each passing day I cherish your presence more and more. I don't know what we were like before, and I'm not sure I could ever measure up, but I really, truly care for you. In the short time I've become reacquainted with you, you've already wormed your way into being one of the most important people in my life."

"Al..." she breathed.

"It's already too late. I can't imagine life without you. U-Um, it's not like I'm asking you to suddenly marry me or anything - I mean, we're engaged _anyway - _but down the road, I think - I hope - we can eventually...make it. All I want is for you to be by my side. W-We're in no rush, are we?"

Mei couldn't hold back her tears, and they welled up anew.

"Alphonse," she cried. "Alphonse, Alphonse..."

Her arms twined around his neck and she held on for dear life. Her sobs wracked both their bodies.

"Alphonse, I love you. With everything that I am, I love you_. _As long as I can stay with you, I'm happy."

He smiled, steadying her on his lap.

"Same here."

* * *

"Mooooooom!"

Mei looked up from her book just in time to see a tiny form toddle its way into the living room.

"What is it, Xiao Ying?"

"Where's daddy? He promised that he'd teach me alchemy today!"

"Is that so? And you didn't even ask me for alkahestry lessons? You're going to break your poor mother's heart!"

"Moo~om," Xiao Ying pouted, exasperated. "_You're_ the one who said I was too young to be playing with knives!"

Mei laughed as she closed her book and stood up from her chair.

"You got me. Your father's out back pulling weeds. Let's see if we can't snag 'im for a quick lesson."

She approached the sliding door and smoothly shifted it aside, beckoning to her daughter.

"Daddy, daddy!"

Golden eyes perked up and swiveled around.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite ladies!"

Mei crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"Now what is this I hear about planning alchemy lessons behind my back? Thought you could get a headstart on me, hmm?"

Alphonse grinned sheepishly as he tugged off his gloves.

"It's hard to say no to our girl's scrumptious little face."

Xiao Ying bounced into his arms, giddy beyond measure.

"Comeoncomeoncomeon! You promised, daddy! Mom can listen in if she wants, but let's goooo already!"

"Alright, alright!" he chuckled. "But we can't stay up too late. We have to rise early tomorrow for the train."

The little girl's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah! We're visiting Uncle Ed and Aunt Winry! I can play with Sara and Den if he doesn't get slobber all over me and we'll all have pie and-"

Suddenly, she frowned and pointed an accusatory finger at her father.

"Hey! Don't think you can weasel out of teaching me alchemy! I'm not that easily distracted!"

"Oh no," he placed a hand on his chest. "I wouldn't _dream_ of it! Who do you take your father for?"

"Mom says you're not always as...um, what was it you said, mom? 'As harmless as you look,' I think. She said you hide sinister things behind that smile."

Alphonse spluttered in sudden laughter.

"Well, I suppose she knows me best. Go inside and fetch the chalk, Xiao Ying. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay!" she chirped, before zipping back over the threshold of the sliding door.

Alphonse slanted a look towards Mei.

"'Not as harmless as I look,' huh? Such slander!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Please, Al. I'm not married to you for nothing. I'm pretty sure that even your brother thinks you're this perfect, soft-spoken angel that needs protecting from the evils of this world, but I know better."

He made his way over and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I bet you do," he said quietly.

A few moments passed, before Alphonse lightly broke the silence that had pervaded the garden.

"In the end, I couldn't get them back."

Mei heard the traces of lingering pain that accompanied his statement.

She pirouetted on the spot, facing him, before flicking his forehead with a finger.

"Dummy. So what if you couldn't? We've created so much more together by now. Are you just going to stand in front of all this,"

Still in his hold, she swept her arm around them in a gesture that encompassed everything within sight.

"And ignore the _new_ emories staring you in the face?"

He smiled.

"With you as my wife? Impossible, even if I wanted to."

"I _told_ you to prepare yourself, Alphonse Elric," she huffed.

A little girl's excited cries skittered about in the background as Alphonse closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Mei's.

"We fought for this together, didn't we?" he asked, a serene smile playing on his lips.

Mei gazed into his eyes with a scorching heat that Alphonse thought was ruthlessly beautiful.

"Inch by bloody inch. And this time, don't you forget it."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**

This turned out to be a _lot_ longer than I had originally planned. I have relentlessly treasured Alphonse and Mei ever since I finished the manga, and watching Brotherhood for the first time only rekindled my devotion to them and sent the flames roaring higher. These two are simply pleasant and awe-inspiring, and I've finally gotten around to writing something for them. Xiao Ying's name was inspired by an old Mandarin dub of Cardcaptor Sakura that I watched as a kid (CCS is Life itself) wherein Sakura's name was dubbed as Xiao Ying. I like the name, so there you go. Um, not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed reading and let me know what you thought!

Random quotation of the day:

"Oh, you're awake. I screwed up." ~Osaka, Azumanga Daioh


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